Thurles Information

Justice Minister Addresses Prison Officers’ Association Conference.

Minister for Justice Mr Jim O’Callaghan has today addressed the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) Conference in Galway this morning; his first as Minister for Justice. Speaking on the first day of the conference, Minister O’Callaghan acknowledged the challenges facing prison officers and highlighted the steps he and the Government are taking to address them.

Thanking the POA for their collaboration and commitment to high standards, Minister O’Callaghan committed to “taking necessary steps to help [prison officers] succeed in this incredibly rewarding career.”

Meanwhile, POA President Mr Tony Power, in addressing the conference at the Galmont Hotel, urged the Minister to immediately address prison overcrowding.
The POA confirmed that this issue was causing a ‘potentially explosive situation’ as there are 5,344 people in custody, with 358 of those prisoners sleeping on mattresses on floors.

Speaking about overcrowding challenges facing the Irish Prison Service; Minister O’Callaghan said: “While the prison estate is currently expanding, I know it is not expanding at the rate that is urgently needed. Since 2022, capacity has been increased by more than 300 new spaces with 139 delivered in the last 12 months alone and more than 90 to be added this year.
Budget 2025 increased funding to €525 million to tackle overcrowding and increase capacity. This year, the Irish Prison Service capital budget is €53 million, also focused on providing additional prison spaces.”

The Minister spoke about important upcoming legislation – the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions Bill) 2025 – which will help to ensure prison officer safety and introduce a range of improvements across prison operations:

Incapacitant Spray Where Prison Officer Safety At Risk.
The Minister stated “I am pleased to tell you that a proposal which I intend to bring forward shortly to Cabinet for approval, as part of the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, is to amend the law so that prison officers can use incapacitant spray in incidents where their safety is at risk.”

The Minister added: “This Bill includes a range of measures that will bring welcome changes across a range of areas, improving operational capacity in our prisons and bolstering sentencing options to reduce reliance on custodial sentences. This includes a number of proposed amendments to the Community Service Act 1983 to encourage greater use of community service orders for those deemed appropriate.”

The Bill proposes doubling the amount of hours’ service that a judge may order, as well as enabling the Courts to consider community service in lieu of a sentence of up to 24 months, rather than the current 12 months. Where a court elects not to impose a community safety order in eligible cases, it is proposed that it will be obliged to give reasons for this.

Keeping contraband out of prison was also a key focus of the Minister’s address to the POA and its membership, and the Minister spoke about collaborative efforts between the Irish Prison Service and An Garda Síochána.

He continued, “The Irish Prison Service continues to work closely with An Garda Síochána on initiatives including Operation Throwover, which has had a lot of success in its goal to disrupt, interdict and prosecute attempts to introduce contraband into prisons.
Earlier this week, I was pleased to witness the signing of a formal Memorandum of Understanding between the Director General of the IPS Caron McCaffrey and the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. This MOU will enable both agencies to collaborate more effectively across a range of areas including prison security, intelligence gathering, evidence preservation and data sharing. This collaboration will significantly help to prevent contraband entering prisons.”

“At every turn, the work we are doing is informed, supported and improved by representative groups like the Prison Officers Association and the invaluable perspective of our prison officers.
I will continue to listen and work with you to make our criminal justice system safer, fairer, and more effective in keeping Ireland a safe place”, he concluded

Minister O’Callaghan ended by once again thanking the POA for the critical role they play in the justice system, and committed to continuing to work closely with them to improve Irish prisons for both prisoners and prison officers.

Gardaí Investigate Sudden Death Of Tipperary Man.

Gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) are investigating the sudden death of a 64 year old man, whose body was discovered on a farm near Ardfinnan in South Tipperary on Tuesday morning last, 29th April 2025.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 11:30am, where the man locally named as Mathew ‘Mattie’ O’Brien, was pronounced dead.

Mr O’Brien was originally from Curanna, Golden in Co Tipperary, but he had been living with his partner Catherine at The Cross, Ardfinnan, South Co. Tipperary for a number of years.

His remains have since been removed to University Hospital Waterford to undergo a post-mortem examination, which will determine the direction of any further ongoing Garda investigations.

According to Gardaí, initial findings suggest no signs of foul play and one line of their inquiry suggests that Mr O’Brien may have fallen off a roof he was repairing.

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) were notified and they have begun an inquiry into the incident. The local coroner has also been informed, and a report is expected to be compiled for the Coroner’s Court.

Mr O’Brien is survived by his partner Catherine, brothers William, John, Dermot and Tom, sister Mary, Catherine’s three children; Catriona, James and Joseph.

The remains of Mr O’Brien will repose at Costigan’s Funeral Home, Cahir, Co. Tipperary on Friday evening next, May 2nd, from 6:00pm until 7:30pm.
Requiem Mass for Mr O’Brien will be celebrated on Saturday May 3rd, at 2:00pm in St. Mary’s Church, Cahir, followed by interment in the adjoining graveyard.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Thurles Planning Alerts From Tipperary County Council.

Application Ref: 2560357.
Applicant: Coolross Homes Ltd.
Development Address: Thurles Townparks Bohernamona And Bowling Green, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Development Description: for the following works: a) alterations to previously approved planning permission register reference 21/279 in respect of the Blocks No. 1-8 inclusive only; b) the alterations relate to the general redesign and alteration to the floor area & elevations.
Status: n/a.
Application Received: 24/04/2025.
Decision Date: n/a.
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2560357/0.

Application Ref: 2560354.
Applicant: Rory O’Regan.
Development Address: Knockroe, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Development Description: Construction of a new milk truck access road and for construction of a milking parlour, dairy and ancillary rooms, drafting and handling facilities, waiting yard, meal bin, water storage tank and underground slatted soiled water storage tank.
Status: n/a.
Application Received: 24/04/2025.
Decision Date: n/a.
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2560354/0.

Application Ref: 2560150.
Applicant: Tipperary Education and Training Board.
Development Address: Colaiste Mhuire Co Ed Castlemeadows , Thurles , Co. Tipperary.
Development Description: 6 relocated car-parking spaces, extension to internal access road with all ancillary site works necessary to facilitate the proposed development.
Status: Conditional.
Application Received: 28/02/2025.
Decision Date: 15/04/2025.
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2560150/0.

Application Ref: 2460906.
Applicant: Charlie Hartnett.
Development Address: Clongower , Thurles , Co Tipperary.
Development Description: 4 no sites for 4 single storey houses, 4 domestic garages, 4 number treatment tanks percolation areas and entrances.
Status: Conditional.
Application Received: 22/10/2024.
Decision Date: 17/04/2025.
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2460906/0.

FSAI Warn Of Undeclared Wheat In Matt Reilly Cakes Iced Jam Bakes.

Alert Summary dated Wednesday, April 30th 2025.

Allergy Alert Notification: 2025.A16.
Allergen: Cereals containing gluten.
Product Identification: Matt Reilly Cakes Iced Jam Bakes, pack size: 320g.
Batch Code: All batches and all best before dates that have “flour” in the ingredients listed without emphasising the allergen.
Country Of Origin: Ireland.

Message: Wheat (cereals containing gluten) is not declared on the ingredients list of Matt Reilly Cakes Iced Jam Bakes. This may make the product unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of cereals containing gluten (wheat), and, therefore, these consumers should not eat the product.
The affected batches are being recalled.

Cinnabar Moth Spotted In Thurles, Co. Tipperary In April.

Spotted here in Thurles on Monday last, the first Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) of the season. Native to Ireland and indeed Europe, Cinnabar moths are daytime-flying moths, with distinctive pinkish-red and black wings.

**Left -Right: (1) Cinnabar Moth – (2) Cinnabar** *(Chinese red, Mercuric Sulfide)* **– (3) Ragwort.**

Cinnabar moths measure about 20mm (0.79in) in length with a wingspan of some 32–42mm (1.3–1.7in) and acquires its named from the red mineral Cinnabar, because of the red patches on its predominantly black wings.

Interesting to note that this moth has been introduced into New Zealand, Australia and North America to control Ragwort (latter poisonous to horses and other livestock), on which its larvae feed.
This Ragwort diet, eaten by their pale yellow and black striped larvae, leaves them unpalatable to their would-be predators. Females can lay up to 300 eggs, in batches of 30 to 60 on the underside of Ragwort leaves and their caterpillars being voracious eaters; a large population can strip entire patches of ragwort clean, within a very short period of time.

Though not considered very rare in Ireland, the Cinnabar moth remains, annually, in grave danger due to the Noxious Weeds Act of 1936, which makes it an offence for the owner or occupier of lands not to prevent the growth and spread of Ragwort. In 2020, some 52 “notices to destroy” were issued to land owners, by the Department of Agriculture, for the presence of Ragwort being on their property and in 2021, some 22 such notices were also issued.
Many caterpillars will starve if their food runs out before they are fully grown, so as competition intensifies the caterpillars become more aggressive and may even turn to cannibalism in their quest for calories.